Pharmaceutical Executive, Jan 1, 2006

Features

A Fresh Look at Co-morbidity

By Michael Fronstin

As americans age, they are likely to suffer from more than one chronic condition at a time. So as the country's population grays, the rate at which patients presenting co-morbid indications will increase, as will the absolute number of patients whose treatment must be adjusted for more than one disease. These are not surprising facts, but they deserve careful consideration by pharma manufacturers and marketers.

What Ever Happened to Critical Path

By Patrick Clinton , Jill Wechsler

To Janet Woodcock, Critical Path hasn't been dying, it's been getting work done."People shouldn't underestimate the difficulties of creating new models. A lot of things worth doing can't happen quickly."

Sales Force Survey

By Bob Davenport , Carrie Fisher

Big Pharma's hiring slowdown is not translating into a growing demand for contract sales organizations.

Patient Assistant Programs and Medicare Part D

By Bill Shearer

Patient-Program Interface Nearly one-third (2.5 million) of the estimated eight million Americans currently enrolled in PAPs are over age 65 and will be eligible to participate in the government's Part D program.

Columns

Alternative Media: Patient Bloggers on Your Brands

By Gina Ashe

Marketers can leverage thetransparency of the Web by listening in and mining thousands of conversations about their clients' brands.

Direct to Consumer: Patient Education Reform

By Maggie Helmig

Patient materials should reflect what patients want to know in a language they can quickly understand.

Backpage: Nailing Down DTC Promotion

By Lou Morris

Arguments over DTC have become more sophisticated, and there is much more middle ground.

Marketing to Professionals: The Power of Positive Feedback

By Gene Guselli

Doctors tend to hear from patients when medications fail, not when they work. But hearing positive feedback can sometimes be just as valuable. Doctors want to know that the drugs they prescribe produce positive outcomes and boost compliance. Yet, many have little information about the efficacy of these drugs because they don't have time to follow up with each patient and track their progress.

Sales Management: The Wonders of Wireless

By Peter Thompson

At least five of the world's top pharma companies have specified, tested, or deployed large-scale Wi-Fi programs.

Washington Report

Washington Report: PDUFA Blues

By Jill Wechsler

FDA wants flexibility to use user-fee revenues to extend drug safety oversight, to review direct-to-consumer advertising before it goes public, and to modernize the ever longer and more complex drug development process.

From the Editor

From the Editor: A Wild 25

By Patrick Clinton

Witnessing an industry's wild ride is perhaps the best reason to work for a business magazine. You've given us 25 years of excitement. And we plan to pay you back.

Thought Leader

Thought Leader: Q&A with Cheryl Buxton

By Jeannette Park

There was a time when Merck was looked upon as the granddaddy of all pharma companies. As the self-proclaimed oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company in the world, people wanted to work at Merck for its sterling reputation, excellent products, and job security.

Leadership

Leadership: 100 Days of Scrutiny

By Sander A. Flaum , Jonathon Flaum

Leaders who are new on the job should get out of their nice offices and go sit with their direct reports. Sit with them in their spaces, over lunch or coffee—anyplace but your space. You want them to be completely comfortable.

Opinion

Opinion: Memo to von Eschenbach

By Kenneth I. Kaitin

Often, post-approval marketing studies don't materialize because drug companies question their value. Independent review of the need for such studies would address pharma's concern that they may be warranted.

Legal

Legal: Shifting Perspective on Off-Label Promotion

By Jack Cinquegrana , Diana K. Lloyd

The omission of criminal charges for off-label promotion of Serostim is surprising, because the government's earlier plea with Pfizer sent a strong signal that it would criminally charge companies engaged in off-label marketing.

Global Report

Global Report: The UK's New Code of Conduct

By Sarah Houlton

Serious offenders of the new Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's Code of Practice can be "named and shamed" with adverts in the trade press. Details of breaches by companies will be posted online.